Patna: The Janata Dal (United) is preparing a focused outreach programme aimed at engaging Bihar’s Gen Z population, with Health Minister Nishant Kumar expected to take a more active role in the campaign.
According to party sources, Nishant Kumar, son of Former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, is likely to undertake another statewide tour after the monsoon. The proposed campaign will focus primarily on voters aged between 20 and 25.
Party leaders believe many young voters in this age group have limited personal experience of Bihar before Nitish Kumar became chief minister. The JD(U) plans to use its youth organisation to explain the government’s schemes and policies aimed at students and young people.
Outreach Planned At Booth Level
The JD(U) plans to take the campaign to every district and focus on individual polling booths. Nishant Kumar has asked the party’s youth wing to strengthen its grassroots outreach as part of the Gen Z-focused strategy.
The party intends to highlight initiatives such as the Student Credit Card Scheme, which was introduced to help students access education loans.
The campaign will also highlight increased scholarship opportunities and arrangements for providing rations to students living in hostels, according to party sources.
Focus On Youth Schemes
The JD(U) also plans to discuss youth-focused initiatives introduced under Nitish Kumar’s Saat Nischay, or Seven Resolves, programme.
Among the schemes expected to feature in the outreach are the Kushal Yuva Programme, aimed at improving the skills of young people, and the Mukhyamantri Nishchay Swayam Sahayata Bhatta, which provides financial assistance to eligible unemployed youths preparing for competitive examinations.
Employment opportunities and the broader employment situation in Bihar during Nitish Kumar’s tenure are also expected to form part of the discussions.
Nishant Steps Up Public Engagement
Nishant Kumar has said that young people represent the future and that their aspirations need to be understood through direct engagement.
The proposed programme is intended not only to communicate the government’s schemes but also to create a platform for dialogue with young people and understand their expectations, party sources said.
Alongside his political activities, Nishant Kumar has increased his engagement with the health department. As health minister, he has been visiting hospitals, interacting with patients and their families and reviewing the availability of medicines and other facilities.
